Arthur

Arthur Bach is a lonely and depressed alcoholic millionaire whose constant boozing and womanising mask profound unhappiness. His father and grandmother disapprove of his slovenly ways and have arranged for him to marry a suitably upper-class bore whom Arthur despises but complies when he is threatened with disinheritance. Arthur is forced to choose between wealth and love when he meets Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli) and is drawn to her working class charm and sincerity. The screenplay is littered with witty one-liners mainly delivered by Dudley Moore, preceding gales of (his own) laughter. Although this habit occasionally grates it also reveals Arthur’s deep ridden angst about the emptiness of his moneyed existence. “Arthur” was an enormous hit at the box office and John Gielgud won an Academy award for his acerbic performance as Arthur’s confidant and butler. The binary conflicts between tradition and freedom, affluence and contentment, youth and age are reminiscent of the screwball comedies of the 1940s.